Need camping gear help

MK20

MK20

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Minuteman
    • Apr 17, 2018
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    The land of many waters
    #1
    So I am mildly claustrophobic and also over six feet tall so I don't like the traditional mummy type sleeping bags. I cannot get a good night's sleep in them. Does anyone have a recommendation for a lightweight setup that will work in all four seasons down to 0 degrees that is not a mummy bag?
    Thanks
     
    #3
    MK20 said:
    So I am mildly claustrophobic and also over six feet tall so I don't like the traditional mummy type sleeping bags. I cannot get a good night's sleep in them. Does anyone have a recommendation for a lightweight setup that will work in all four seasons down to 0 degrees that is not a mummy bag?
    Thanks
    Click to expand...
    You want a quilt. How “light weight” will determine the price. Combined with a good pad and to will have a good set up.
     
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    #5
    If the weight and bulk are manageable....might reach 0 degree temps if you use the right blanket. I love wool but it might need to be a pretty spendy blanket to get real low temp duty..........The cowboy bed roll might be an option.....

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    There are also other Made in USA waxed canvas rolls if you Google "Cowboy Bedroll".

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    Outfitter Canvas Bedroll - Montana Canvas

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    #6
    When you say 0 degrees are you referring to freezing (32 deg.) or truly 0 degrees Fahrenheit? Trying to achieve a lightweight 4 season sleep system that will work down to 0 F could prove to be difficult without adding multiple layers when trying to avoid a mummy style bag. Down quilts will be your best bet.


    sectionhiker.com

    10 Best Backpacking Quilts of 2025 - SectionHiker.com

    More and more backpackers are switching from sleeping bags to backpacking quilts because they're lig
    sectionhiker.com sectionhiker.com
     
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    #9

    Ultralight Backpacking Gear & Outdoor Apparel | Enlightened Equipment

    Top-quality ultralight sleeping gear and outdoor apparel made with a passion that goes where you go. Come check out our collection for your next adventure.
    enlightenedequipment.com enlightenedequipment.com
    Add a Thermarest or Exped mat under.(snow rated)
    A true 0 degree bag/quilt will be $$$ and weigh 2 pounds or better.

    R
     
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    #12
    A quilt is what you need. I have been using one elk hunting in Colorado for a number of years. They are awesome.

    Ultralight Backpacking Gear & Outdoor Apparel | Enlightened Equipment

    Top-quality ultralight sleeping gear and outdoor apparel made with a passion that goes where you go. Come check out our collection for your next adventure.
    www.enlightenedequipment.com www.enlightenedequipment.com
     
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    #13
    MK20 said:
    So I am mildly claustrophobic and also over six feet tall so I don't like the traditional mummy type sleeping bags. I cannot get a good night's sleep in them. Does anyone have a recommendation for a lightweight setup that will work in all four seasons down to 0 degrees that is not a mummy bag?
    Thanks
    Click to expand...
    You said you want light weight and warm. I suggest Feathered Friends in Seattle. They make top tier down sleeping bags and bedding. Their rectangular sleeping bags are perfect for your situation...I too hate the claustrophobia of a mummy bag...turns out I like to sleep with my legs akimbo. Also, if FF doesn’t have what you want on the shelf, they can often be talked in to making something to your specs...they would go full custom in the past. Not sure they still do.
     
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    #14
    Well you didn’t say if if it’s for hunting, hiking, family, etc...so I’ll assume elk hunting or the like.
    Ultralite and want to stay warm?

    Check out a SeekOutside Cimarron dyneema shelter paired with one of their titanium take down stoves. Good high R value pad and quilt from Nunatak or Enlightened Equipment.
     
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    #15
    True “0” degree and lightweight means your going to be wearing a few puffy layers while in the bag.

    not sure how tight us too tight for you but a mummy bag might seem more roomy than sleeping in layers if your not used to it.
     
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    #19
    Not to get too esoteric but I’ve had good luck in situations where weight is a critical factor and I had warm insulated clothing for daytime use by using a half-sleeping bag with a down parka. So...just the bottom of a sleeping bag for my waist down and the heavy fill parka that was coming on the trip anyway for the top half. Way more comfortable than being trapped in a sleeping bag (arms free, for example) and you’re not carrying the weight of a full sleeping bag with zippers and drawcords and other faff that you don’t need. That was useful for alpine climbing and came out of that world where sacrificing some comfort for weight is a real thing and I was carrying/wearing a heavy-fill down parka for belaying/bivvies anyway. I think Western Mountaineering sells a half bag.

    Western Mountaineering at BackcountryGear.com | Ultralight Sleeping Bags

    Western Mountaineering from BackcountryGear.com. Made in San Jose, California, using the finest raw materials in the world, all Western Mountaineering bags are filled with 850+ fill power goose down from Eastern Europe. Top this off with the most advanced materials available. All this just so...
    www.backcountrygear.com www.backcountrygear.com
     
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    #20
    I am looking for lightweight and dont mind sleeping in some clothes. I have a good lightweight fall/spring setup already and just need a good winter setup.

    I will take a look at some of the quilts mentioned here. I don't mind paying a bit or even sleeping in a bag, but it just has to be a roomy bag.
     
    #21
    The problem is not really getting something that is relatively light weight that will work at 0F- down plus strategic layering will get you there. The problem is the whole concept of a 4 season setup. What works at 0F will not work at 80F, or even 40F, really. The quilt is a good recommendation, as is layering. You'll need an exceptional mattress underneath you to insulate you from the ground (even in the summer)- it is THE heat sink. What you really need is a dedicated winter setup, a fall/spring setup, and a summer setup.

    I never sleep very well while camping, but my best nights have been while hammock camping. Though, it is not for the claustrophobic.

    @MK20, posted as I was typing this.

    If the discomfort is at the feet (where I have issue with a mummy bag), there are square toe mummy bags...
     
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    #22
    Yeah, I even run into the problem of temp swings in reloading as where I live will vary from 0 in the winter to 100 in the summer for the extreme swings, so all my gear needs to be flexible and adaptable.
    And light.
     
    #23
    OREGUN said:
    You said you want light weight and warm. I suggest Feathered Friends in Seattle. They make top tier down sleeping bags and bedding. Their rectangular sleeping bags are perfect for your situation...I too hate the claustrophobia of a mummy bag...turns out I like to sleep with my legs akimbo. Also, if FF doesn’t have what you want on the shelf, they can often be talked in to making something to your specs...they would go full custom in the past. Not sure they still do.
    Click to expand...

    Ive had a feathered friends bag for I think 6 years now... Its a 40 degree(I think) rectangular bag... coldest I have slept in it was mid 20's in Bryce, UT. Im also sleeping inside a Hilleberg 2 man tent though which is a double layer tent... with 2 people its TOASTY inside. Also sleeping on thermarests... I wont claim my setup would be good down to 0 degrees F though, but mid 20's I know I was toasty and I was sleeping in my underwear...

    At really cold temps its important to insulate from the ground as all the ground contact will suck the heat out of anything.
     
    #24
    If you are solo camping where there are trees, a Warbonnet Outdoors Blackhawk XL hammock, super-fly, wooki under quilt, and top quilt of your choice will typically come in under-weight of an equivalent ground tent setup. If you are camping with others and can split the weight of the tent, the tent setup may be slightly less heavy, though I believe that a suspended under quilt is superior to an air mattress on the ground for warmth. And, a hammock sleeps better than the ground.
     
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    #26
    Find an REI store near you. (ignore thier political stances). But they have several options that you can actually get into in the store and staff has always been very knowledgeable. A true 4 season bag will be expensive especially if weight is a consideration. Check out backpacker magazines. They have tons if reviews that mught help too.
     
    #27
    Yes def. not lightweight. But when weight isn't an issue both the canvas cutter bedroll and the Kodiak canvas bags are nice. I just add wool blankets or a down quilt as necessary.
     
    #28
    A long time ago I used to use a poncho liner, space blanket and a rain poncho, all put together. You lay the poncho down and then lay the space blanket on top of it and then the poncho liner. After that you take the strings from the poncho liner and tie everything together. It work very well until you get below 32 degrees, then you were just cold and couldn't wait for the sun to come up. I would take the sleeping bag when it got that cold, just meant a larger ruck. I guess I could have added another poncho liner to keep warm. This system allowed not to feel zipped up like in a sleeping bag and was great if you had to get out of it fast.

    Just for reference:



     
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    #29
    Slash0311 said:
    Find an REI store near you. (ignore thier political stances). But they have several options that you can actually get into in the store and staff has always been very knowledgeable.
    Click to expand...

    Most of the bags REI sells are over priced junk compared to what is out there. Feathered Friends is head and shoulders above anything that REI sells and isnt that much more expensive. I bought my wife a cheap ass chinese made bag off Amazon when we went to Utah because everything we looked at at REI was chinese made anyway. Maybe they have some higher end bags that arent chinese made, but most of them were... and my wife wouldnt let me buy her a $300+ dollar bag.
     
    #30
    BufordTJustice said:
    Yes def. not lightweight. But when weight isn't an issue both the canvas cutter bedroll and the Kodiak canvas bags are nice. I just add wool blankets or a down quilt as necessary.
    Click to expand...
    When car camping, I do like a canvas/flannel sleeping bags...it reminds me of camping with my folks when I was a kid before I even knew there was fancy, expensive, nylon, down, high tech gadgets and a legion of gear geeks constantly playing a game of gear-“keeping up with the joneses”.
     
    #31
    rjacobs said:
    Most of the bags REI sells are over priced junk compared to what is out there. Feathered Friends is head and shoulders above anything that REI sells and isnt that much more expensive. I bought my wife a cheap ass chinese made bag off Amazon when we went to Utah because everything we looked at at REI was chinese made anyway. Maybe they have some higher end bags that arent chinese made, but most of them were... and my wife wouldnt let me buy her a $300+ dollar bag.
    Click to expand...

    Not disagreeing with you but its the only store I know of that lets you try them out before you buy. It sounds like the OPs main concern is fitment. Thats why I suggested them.
     
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    #32
    Shooter McGavin said:
    A long time ago I used to use a poncho liner, space blanket and a rain poncho, all put together. You lay the poncho down and then lay the space blanket on top of it and then the poncho liner. After that you take the strings from the poncho liner and tie everything together. It work very well until you get below 32 degrees, then you were just cold and couldn't wait for the sun to come up. I would take the sleeping bag when it got that cold, just meant a larger ruck. I guess I could have added another poncho liner to keep warm. This system allowed not to feel zipped up like in a sleeping bag and was great if you had to get out of it fast.

    Just for reference:



    Click to expand...
    I have done this enough to not want to do it again. I spent a week with nothing but clothes and a woobie getting gassed out of my position multiple times a night. I am done with the shivering all night method if I can help it.
     
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    #33
    Slash0311 said:
    Not disagreeing with you but its the only store I know of that lets you try them out before you buy. It sounds like the OPs main concern is fitment. Thats why I suggested them.
    Click to expand...

    I dont know if they carry any big and tall bags in the stores, but they might. I also seem to remember most of what they carry is mummy bags.

    Buying my feathered friends was a bit nerve wracking because I couldnt see it, feel it, try it, before spending I think $450, but I couldnt find a bad review for them so I jumped in and am glad I did.
     
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    #34
    @MK20

    If you look at feathered friends I would look at the 3 season, Condor YF, tall and then pick your temp level(10, 20, 30)... If you are going to be in a solid tent on top of a sleeping pad, might be able to go down a temp range... IIRC you can send them the bag back and they will add more fill if you need it, but check into that...

    I believe I have a penguin, 40 degree bag.
     
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    #35
    I do a lot of winter backpacking. You''ll freeze to death without a good mummy bag and pad or have way too much weight and size in sleeping gear. One option for you would be hot tenting which would allow you less technical and rated sleeping gear like a quilt. We use Seekoutside hot tents and can play cards in T shirts when its 5* outside........even then though the stoves are small and you will be forced to have plenty of wood and plan on stoking it every 2 hours tops to make that work. We enjoy the heat and then climb into good rated bags and forget the fire until morning. If you don't do real 4 season camping you have good options but real 4 season camping/backpacking is nothing to be trifled with and can be dangerous without real gear.
     
    Last edited:
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    #37
    Not meeting your criteria of lightweight or all that packable, i have been using a mammoth sleeping bag made for 2 people, rated at “0” and its been awesome. I can sleep like a starfish as long as its not in the 20’s or below, cause then the parts i am not in get too cold. It has a zipper on both sides but is easy to get out of without use of zipper.
    When its in the very low digits i still wear my cold weather clothes so when i get out its not shocking.

    My 15* mummy bag that weighs 1.2# and cost me $400+ dollars is so hard to get out of and tight to my body its hard to sleep. Ive been cold in it if i dont have a insulated pad. Nothing beats a good nights sleep. Make the sacrifices needed to do that.
     
    #38
    There are so many variables it’s hard to give recommendations that mean much beyond manufacturers that build quality gear and stand behind their products.

    Just how cold is going to get
    Just how lightweight does it need to be
    How long are you going to be out
    How warm do you sleep
    How good is your pad
    How good is your tent...will there be a tent, bivy sack, quinzee or snow cave...some of these are warmer than others
    Do you have the experience to know how much warmer you can be if you eat before bed
    Will you be with a snuggle buddy...by yourself...with a buddy but no snuggling
    On dirt or snow
    How wet is your gear likely to get
    What are the consequences of gear failure
    How do operational priorities relate to risks
    Do you have the experience required to evaluate manufacturers’ claims as they relate to likely real world outcomes or as they relate to unique criteria that manufacturers’ use to make those claims
    Etc...

    There are some good ideas on this thread. If there’s a good sized outdoor club at a college nearby you might find that you can rent some of the gear to try it out. Used sleeping bags weird me out but like rifle parts, there is so little opportunity to try before you buy that there’s often a strong secondary market as people learn what does and doesn't work for them. Stay warm.
     
    #39
    It cannot be said often enough, but the bag (or top quilt) is just 1/2 of the equation. If you don't have some real insulation underneath of you, you will be cold. And by real insulation, that is insulation that does not compress when you lay on it. A down mummy bag is wasting 1/2 of the insulation because it is being compressed to nothing when you sleep on top of it. You need a good mattress- the inflatable down exped mattress referenced a few places above is really good. I used it as an underlayer while hammock camping in well below freezing temps (though not 0F).
     
    #41
    I have spent A LOT of nights in a tent at 0 or below.

    First is a good Winter pad. The Exped that @Rthur posted or one of their models is what I recommend. Have tried many out. I carry the 32 oz knowing I will be warm and sleep great.
    An R value of 9.2 on the Downmat 9 I use is unreal in the cold.

    Look at Western Mountaineering bags. Top end like Feathered Friends and they make models with “girth”.
    Either one of those companies make solid products.
    They also make a variety of lengths for you giant people.

    My rule for tent sleeping in cold is fresh socks (I carry a pair just for sleeping) fresh long johns (ones you sweated in while hiking/hunting arent as warm) and a beanie.
    I dont wear a lot of clothes in my bag. Kinda ruins the idea of trapping air in my mind.
    I have draped my big down puffy over my bag as needed.

    I use either a single wall tent (Bibler or Mtn Hardware if 2 people) or a double wall mountaineering tent (north face expedition, 2 or 3 person depending on room you need).
    Only issue is condensation in the tent on occasion.

    We have 3 shops near me that sell these top end bags, so come to CO.
    You can check out bags, smoke a fatty, and go raise hell outside Lowlights house 🤣😁😁
     
    #44
    OREGUN said:
    Not to get too esoteric but I’ve had good luck in situations where weight is a critical factor and I had warm insulated clothing for daytime use by using a half-sleeping bag with a down parka. So...just the bottom of a sleeping bag for my waist down and the heavy fill parka that was coming on the trip anyway for the top half. Way more comfortable than being trapped in a sleeping bag (arms free, for example) and you’re not carrying the weight of a full sleeping bag with zippers and drawcords and other faff that you don’t need. That was useful for alpine climbing and came out of that world where sacrificing some comfort for weight is a real thing and I was carrying/wearing a heavy-fill down parka for belaying/bivvies anyway. I think Western Mountaineering sells a half bag.

    Western Mountaineering at BackcountryGear.com | Ultralight Sleeping Bags

    Western Mountaineering from BackcountryGear.com. Made in San Jose, California, using the finest raw materials in the world, all Western Mountaineering bags are filled with 850+ fill power goose down from Eastern Europe. Top this off with the most advanced materials available. All this just so...
    www.backcountrygear.com www.backcountrygear.com
    Click to expand...


    I think they refer to those as "Ball Bags".
     
    #45
    hlee said:
    If you are solo camping where there are trees, a Warbonnet Outdoors Blackhawk XL hammock, super-fly, wooki under quilt, and top quilt of your choice will typically come in under-weight of an equivalent ground tent setup. If you are camping with others and can split the weight of the tent, the tent setup may be slightly less heavy, though I believe that a suspended under quilt is superior to an air mattress on the ground for warmth. And, a hammock sleeps better than the ground.
    Click to expand...

    never tried a hammock below 30-35

    does a good bottom quilt work well enough?
     
    #47
    Far from light , these Korean War era Casualty Bags are awesome IF kept dry !
    FEMA handed them out after a tornado years ago. Mine came smelling like a strong antiseptic smell , was sealed complete with a body bag. Had to air it out , smell left.
    Lots of down , complete with rabbit hair hoody thingy. Plush tent sleeping 👍
    They are still around at some military surplus places.
     

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